Cash drawer mechanism



Aug. 25, 1931. J. R. SHOWERS I CASH DRAWER MECHANISM Filed March '7,1927 m a u a INVENTOR. fist-PW A, /7 waves,

BY v

Wm WM kW ATTORNEYZS Patented Aug.25,1931 a e 1 320,400

UNITE STA ES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH aesrrownns. or sHELBYVILLE, INDIANAcAsrr DRAWER MECHANISM,

Application filed March 7, 1927. Serial No. 173,435.

This invention relates to a money drawer satisfactory operating height.Likewise an construction. adding machine upon the counter may oper- Oneobject of the invention is to provide ate counter supported mechanismfor autoa money drawer and a container therefor matically operatingcabinet supported mech- 5 whichmay be associated witha supporting anismfor releasing anyone of the drawers stand, counter or desk such thatseveral compositioned in thecabinet. partments therein are each adaptedto re- Adjacent each compartment 14 is a catch ceive the money drawerand retain the same 18 with which the locking bolt of the key thereinand yet be interchangeably associoperated lock 19 carried by each drawermay ated with a common actuating container. be associated for lockingthe drawer in either Another object of the invention is to conitsdesignated compartment 14 or in the cabstruct a drawer and its containerin a simple inet 16. manner. Mounted on the counter, see Fig. 1, thereSeveral features of the inventionuwill be is illustrated an addingmachine 20 includ- 15 pointed out hereinafter more in detail. ing anactuatin handle 21 for engagement The full nature of the invention willbe with a drawer re easing pin or plunger. Acunderstood from theaccompanying drawtuation of the handle depressesthe plunger ings and thefollowing description and 22 to actuate the releasing mechanism forclaims: releasing the latch holding the money draw-- o Inth'e drawingsFig. 1 is a front elevaer. 'Also mounted on the counter and extionalview of a portion of a counter showtending therethrough is a manualcontrol ing the invention associated therewith and 25, the purpose ofwhich will be hereinafter with an adding machine mounted on top. pointedout. a Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through The means formoving the drawer in its 2'5 the counter. -Fig.' 3 is a longitudinal seccabinet after release of suitable latching tional view through the moneydrawer and mechanism consists in a coil spring 26 sea drawer containeror cabinetarranged for cured to the end 27 of the drawer 17 and useindependent of counter mounting. Fig. said spring is adapted to bearupon a spring 4 is a transverse sectional view therethrough retainer 28carried by the back of the cab- 30 taken on line 44 of Fig. 3 and inthe'direcmet. The spring is normally compressed so vtion of the arrows-Fig. 5 is a'detailed view by the closing movement of the drawer and of aportionof the opera.ting=mech.anism.' is retained in compressedcondition when In the drawings 10 indicatesthe top of a the drawer islatched in the closed position. counter or table, 11 the back, 12 thefront Release of the latch permits the spring 35 and 13 the legs. Thecounter, table or the 26 to project the drawer outwardly and thus likeis provided with a plurality of compartopen the same. A stop 29 isprovided and ments 14 separated by partitions 15. The is actuated by arod 30 connected to the finupper' compartment preferably is enlargedg'er piece 25 and constitutes a manual lock to receive a drawercontainer or cabinet 16 for the drawer; The same in Fig. 2 is I 40whichinterchangeably receives any oneof shown independentlyassociated'with the the severaldrawers 17. To prevent unaudrawer but maybe so arranged that it looks thorized removal of the cabinet or drawerthe latching mechanism in the drawer recontainer from its compartmentthelower taining position instead of directly locking rail 23' issecured by the counter sunk screws the drawer. Herein to secure betterdrawer 4 24 to the partition rail of the counter. Thus f movement thedrawer is shown provided when a money drawer is secured in the cabiwitha channel shaped guide 31 which is exnet the screws 24 are covered sothat the tended beyond the end of the drawer 27 and cabinet cannot beremoved from its opening. is supported by the rearward extension '32 Theupper compartment is utilized for cabthereof. Said guide travels on arail 33 and 50 inet reception, since it is more nearly at a thus sidesway of the drawer in its opening and closing movements is prevented. Tofurther assist in securing predetermined drawer movement and ease ofoperation as well, there is provided a plurality of pairs of rollers34;, each of which is slidably mounted upon a spindle portion 35 'of abolt 36, the same having relative eccentricity therebetween so that whenthe bolt is secured in adjusted position the axis of roller rotation maybe adjusted for height and may be secured in such position by theornamental nut 37. The rollers ride in a groove 39 formed in the drawersides 40 and herein to insure positioning of the rear roller in thegroove 89 upon return movement of the drawer, a stationary guide member41 is positioned intermediate and extends between the rollers. The samelies in the groove 39 when the drawer is in the closed position. By theaforesaid arrangement, the drawer has a confined predetermined movementand is prevented from cocking sidewards or upward down in the cabinet.

Latching means for releasing the drawer to the operation of spring 26comprises a hearing member 42 secured to the underside of the top 4.3 ofthe container. Pivotally supported thereby is a wooden latch member l lhaving a tapered or bevelled edge 45 for drawer clearance in closingmovement of the drawer. A small spring 46 normally maintains the latchand the locking lever is in the position shown in Fig. 3. The oppositeend of the latching lever is shown positioned immediately beneath theupset end l? of pin, 22 and the same may actuate directly the lever,compressing the spring 16 for releasing the back end of the drawer fromthe latch or end of the lever 4-1 and to the spring 26.

Inasmuch as quite a hammer blow is imparted to pin or plunger 22 by thehandle 21, or manually if the adding machine not desired, and since theactuating mechanism is of metal and the lever is of wood,

said lever will be subjected to consiiilerable wear and therefore thereis interposed a protective member 48 which comprises a sheet of metal,herein not carried by the member 45, but hingedly mounted at 49 to theunderside of the top 43 and interposed between the member a l and thepin 22 so that it constitutes a return spring for the pin. Theenlargement d7 prevents the throwing of the pin from its socket 49 uponreturn of spring 4-8. Also spring 48 when seated prevents actuation ofpin 22 upon actuation of lever 4% in return movement of said lever uponthe closing movement of the drawer.

Mounted upon the back 27 of the money drawer is a plate 50 slidablysupporting an angular member 51 and when said member is projecteddownwardly, as shown in Figs. and l, the same is adapted to engage theend rail 23 of the cabinet and thus prevent complete throw of the drawerfrom the container or cabinet upon release to the spring 26. When it isdesired to remove the money drawer from the cabinet the angular member51 is retracted and the drawer then completely released. In normaloperation the lock 19 is only locked when the several money drawers arepositioned in their proper compartments 14-, or in the cabinet 16 whenthe attendant temporarily leaves the counter. In common with many moneydrawers, the same is provided with an audible warning signal whichindicates when the drawer is being opened. Herein the rear of eachdrawer is provided with a member which is of angular formation, 60indicating the actuating portion and 61 a pivotal portion. A spring 62normally maintains the actuating portion 60 in operative position. Abell 63 is mounted upon the back 6-l of the cabinet and supportedadjacent thereto is av frame or bracket pivotally supporting a striker66 having an engageable end or tooth (57 which normally is caught by theangular portion 6-0 of the tripping member in the opening movement ofthe drawer to tilt the lever or striker 66 on its pivot. Thereafterrelease of said lever to the actuating spring 67 causes the striker (36to engage the bell 63 and ring the same. In the closing move ment of thedrawer the angular portion engages the end 67 of the stroker 6G andsince they are complementarily formed for cannning operation, trippingmember 60 will ride over the lever tilting the same sailiciently forsuch. purpose but will. not cause striking of the bell.

A manual release is preferably so arranged, as shown in Fig. 3, thatwhen the handle portion 25 is tilted so that the drawer locking portion29 engages the back 27 of the drawer to lock the same and preventwithdrawal, it simultaneously moves the drawer rearwardly a slightdistance so as to slidably clear the locking lever 44. The reason forthis is that when the handle 21 of the adding machine 20 is actuated forobtaining a total and it is not desired to have the drawer open, thenthe manual locking member will release the locking lever from d *awerengagement by shifting the drawer rearwardly a slight distance, as setforth. This relieves all strain from the locking lever and permits thelocking lever to freely tilt under the actuation of the adding machinehandle. \Vhen the adding machine operation is completed the handle 25may be returned to the non-locking position, whereupon the drawer willmove forwardly under the influence of spring 26 to engage the end of thelever a l which may be suitably protected as by a metal plate.

The invention claimed is:

1. In combination a counter having a plurality identical money drawerreceiving compartments therein, a plurality of identi I cal money drawermembers interchangeably receivable by said compartments, cooperatingmeans in each compartment and on each drawer member for individually andindependently locking each drawer member in any compartment, a moneydrawer receiving cabinet member supported by the counter and adapted toreceive any one of the many drawer members, and means cooperating withthe cabinet contained drawer member to control drawer member movement,com- I, prising a spring carried by one of said oooperating cabinet anddrawer members for engaging the other of said cooperating cabinet anddrawer members for projecting the cabinet contained drawer member fromthe cabinet when released,and other means supported by the cabinet forreleasing the drawer member to spring action.

3. In combination, a counter having a plurality of identical moneydrawer receiving compartments therein, a plurality of identical moneydrawer members interchangeably receivable by said compartments, cooperating means in each compartment and on each drawer member for individuallyand independently locking each drawer member in,

any compartment, a money drawer receiving cabinet member supported bythe counter and adapted to receive any one of the many drawer members,means cooperating with the cabinet contained drawer member to controldrawer member movement, comprising a spring carried by one of saidcooperating cabinet and drawer members for engaging the other of saidcooperating cabinet and drawer members for projecting the cabinetcontained drawer member from the cabinet I when released, manuallyoperable means normally restraining said drawer member in cabinetretaining position and movable to release said drawer member for springaction, and other means carried by said cabinet member cooperating withthe cooperating means carried by the drawer member for permanentlyretaining the drawer member in the cabinet member.

4. In combination, a counter having a plurality of'identical moneydrawer receiving compartments therein, a plurality of identical moneydrawer members interchangeably receivable v by said compartments,cooperating means in each compartment and oneach drawer member forindividually and independently locking each drawer, member in anycompartment, a money drawer receiving cabinet member supported. by thecounter and adapted toreceive any one of the many drawer members, meanscooperating with the cabinet contained drawer member to control drawermember movement, comprising .a spring carried by one of said cooperatingcabinet and drawer members for engaging the other of said cooperatingcabinet and drawer members for projecting the cabinet contained drawermember from the cabinet when released, an adding machine carried by thecounter and arranged for adding machine operation, and other-meansoperatively associated with said adding machine and said drawer memberfor automatically releasing said cabinet contained drawer member forspring action when the adding machine is operated.

5. In combination, a counter having a plurality of identicalmoney drawerreceiving compartments therein, a plurality of identical money drawermembers interchangeably receivable by said compartments, cooperatingmeans in each compartment and on each drawer member for individually andindependently locking each drawer member in any compartment, a moneydrawer receiving cabinet member supported by the counter and adapted toreceive any one of the many drawer members, means cooperating with thecabinet contained drawer member to control drawer member movement,comprising a spring carried by one of said cooperating cabinet anddrawer members for engaging the other of said cooperating cabinet anddrawer members for projecting the cabinet contained drawermember fromthe cabinet when released, an adding machine carried by the counter andarranged for adding machine operation, other means operativelyassociated with said adding machine and said drawer member forautomatically releasing said cabinet contained drawer member for springaction when the adding machine is'voperated, andmeans carriedby saidcabinet member and cooperating with the drawer supported cooperatingmeans for locking/said drawer member inthe cabinet member. v u I 6. Incombination, a counter having a pluralityrof identical money drawerreceiving compartments therein, a plurality of identical money drawermembers interchangeably receivable by said compartments, cooperatingmeans in each compartment and on each drawer member for individually andindependently locking each drawer member in any compartment, a moneydrawer receiving cabinet member supported by the counter and adapted toreceive any one of i the many drawer members, means cooperating with thecabinet contained drawer member to control drawer member movement,comprising a spring carried by one of said cooperating cabinet anddrawer members for engaging the other of said cooperating cabinet anddrawer members for projecting the cabinet contained drawer member fromthe cabinet when released, an adding machine carried by the counter andar 'anged for add ing machine operation, other means operativelyassociated with said adding machine and said drawer member forautomatically releasing said cabinet contained drawer member for springaction when the adding machine is operated, and manually operable meanscarried by said cabinet member and operatively associated with saiddrawer member to retain the drawer member in the cabinet member inopposition to said spring.

7. In combination, a counter having a plurality of identical moneydrawer receiving compartments therein, a plurality of identi cal moneydrawer members interchangeably receivable by said compartments,cooperating means in each compartment and on each drawer member forindividually and independently locking each drawer member in anycompartment, a. money drawer receiving cabinet member supported by thecounter and adapted to receive any one of the many drawer members, meanscooperating with the cabinet contained drawer member to control drawermember movement, comprising a spring carried by one of said cooperatingcabinet and drawer members for engaging the other of said cooperatingcabinet and drawer members for projecting the cabinet contained drawermember from the cabinet when released, an adding machine carried by thecounter and arranged for adding machine operation, other meansoperatively associated with said adding machine and said drawer memberfor automatically releasing said cabinet member and operativelyassociated with said drawer member to retain the drawer member in thecabinet member in opposition to said spring, and means carried by saidcabinet member and arranged for cooperation with the cooperating meanscarried by said drawer member for locking the drawer member in saidcabinet member.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto afiixed my signature.

JOSEPH R. SHOWERS.

